Hey guys, I'm not dead!

Any feedback, suggestions, compliments, or questions would be appreciated.

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It was now the night of the same day that Izuku had visited principal Nezu's office and had met the big three at U.A. Izuku sighed in his bed, trying to go to sleep after reflecting on the day he had, wearing some green shorts and a black short sleeve shirt as pajamas. Ochako was also within Izuku's room once more, supposively sleeping in her own mattress, although Izuku didn't know if she was already asleep or not. Nevertheless, he was still very nervous as he remembered the other nights when Ochako slept in his bed. He remained still in his bed with his back facing the wall, waiting for any sort of indication that Ochako was getting up, only for there to be none after waiting a few minutes when they both went to their beds at the same time.

"I guess she decided not to sneak in today... Maybe it's because of this morning? I don't know whether to feel glad or worried..." Izuku thought in his head.

After waiting a few more minutes, he gave up and closed his eyes in order to sleep, before then snapping them awake after finally hearing some movement from Ochako. Izuku tensed up and slightly moved to the side of the bed so that he made room in it, his back basically pressing against the wall. He saw Ochako's silhouette in the dark room slowly rise up from the ground, then carefully moving to Izuku's bed. She slowly lifted up the covers and got into the bed with Izuku, then slightly scooting herself closer to him.

Izuku gulped nervously as he waited to see if Ochako would do anything, but he didn't receive any more movement from her. Izuku then slowly reached his hand out under the covers until his hand touched Ochako's hand. Upon the contact, Ochako immediately shot up from the bed and became bug eyed with her face entirely blushing, the covers actually flying in the air a little.

"D-D-Deku!? Y-You're awake!?" she uttered with terrified eyes.

"H-Hey.." Izuku uttered out as he rose himself into a sitting position on the bed, awkwardly waving his hand to Ochako.

"I-I was um- I-I only-!" Ochako struggled with her words, before then placing her hands over her face and then floating up in a ball within the room out of pure embarrassment.

"O-Ochako!?" Izuku uttered out in a shouting whisper, worried that his mom might hear him when they should be sleeping. He frantically looked as Ochako floated around the room, partially worried that she might knock some things over, and also worried that she might end up hurting herself.

At one point, Ochako floated over her mattress, and that was when she deactivated her quirk, fell onto her bed, and hid underneath the covers in embarrassment.

"S-Sorry for bothering you Deku! I-I won't do it again I promise!" Ochako said in a slightly muffled voice under her covers.

"U-Um..." Izuku stared down at Ochako from his bed, wondering what he should say. He shivered nervously before saying the first thing that came to mind.

"I-It doesn't really bother me... Y-You could come in... if you'd like.." he uttered out.

Hearing this, Ochako flinched under her covers, before then slowly poking her head from underneath them, looking like a turtle poking its head out of its shell. She had an adorable blush still remaining on her face, looking slightly happy but embarrassed to hear Izuku say what he did..

"R-Really?" was all she could utter out, her voice partially cracking.

Izuku had small trails of sweat coming down the side of his head. "What am I saying?! I get too nervous just being in the same room as her!"

"I-I don't really mind..." Izuku said.

"I should mind!" His thoughts shouted.

There was an awkward silence within the room, the only sound being heard was the small breathing of Emerald in his small bed in the corner of the room.

"O-Okay..." Ochako finally uttered.

She then slowly, but nervously scooted out of her covers, and into Izuku's bed once again. Izuku slightly rose the covers to let her in the bed with him, also slightly scooting himself back to give her some room. It seemed to take forever, but soon Ochako was under the covers with Izuku, with only their heads poking out and staring at one another.. They both had intense blushes and shook nervously from being so close to one another.

"A-Are you c-comfortable?" was all Izuku managed to ask in that situation.

Ochako simply nodded her head in conformation that she was, her eyes still staring right into Izuku's. There was more silence between the two of them, neither one of the teenages even blinked and just continued to stare at one another.

"Deku?" Ochako managed to utter out after a while.

"Y-Yes!?" Izuku immediately responded.

"C-Could you... hold me?"

Izuku flinched and began to visibly shiver, the bed looking as if it shivered with him. He felt too nervous to even answer that question as his mind exploded with options of what he should do.

"Too much, huh?" Ochako thought in some disappointment.

She then scooted herself closer to Izuku with a smile, and then wrapped her arms around his waist and held him close, then placing her head on his chest as she slightly shifted herself in the covers.

"O-Ocha-!?!"

"Sorry... I just feel happy hugging you... It really helps me get to sleep..." Ochako admitted to him.

"R-R-Really? Wh-Why so?"

Ochako slightly moved herself back and looked at Izuku with an adorably annoyed pout. "You know why..."

Izuku then chuckled nervously as he averted his faze from her, "I-I guess I do..."

She then smiled, snuggling herself close to Izuku. "Hey Deku.... Can I... sleep next to you every night?"

Izuku was momentarily caught off guard by this suggestion, wincing as he looked downward at Ochako's blushing, but serious expression.

"I-If it h-helps you sleep... th-then sure..."

"Heh... I kind of knew you would say something like that..." Ochako mumbled, before taking a deep breath of Izuku and then finally closing her eyes to go to sleep.

"Good night... De...ku..." Ochako mumbled before then lightly snoozing away.

Izuku watched as Ochako peacefully slept, feeling his heart tense up from how cute she looked. He slowly moved his arms around Ochako, placing them around her back into a hug and feeling every heartbeat going faster as he did so. He took a deep breath and relaxed, letting his tension go down, and was finally able to feel sleepy.

"Good night... Ochako..." he said with a smile before also closing his eyes.

Outside of the room, peeking through the tiny open crack of the door, Inko stood all giddy to have witnessed the entire thing.

"My boy's growing up..." She said to herself with comedic tears of happiness.

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Next Day

Izuku led Emerald down a few streets of his neighborhood, both happily walking around with Izuku holding a bag of chips in his hand. They walked happily through the streets, despite getting a few odd looks from people passing by them since it wasn't common that someone would have a pure black wolf cub with emerald green eyes.

"How are you liking your tour of our neighborhood Emerald?"

Emerald's response came in the form of happy barking and wagging his tail as he walked. Inko had suggested Izuku to take Emerald out for a walk in order for him to get to know the neighborhood area so that he gets familiar with it. The sun was brightly shining down upon Izuku and Emerald within the neighborhood streets, and although there were a few small clouds in the sky, everything seemed like a perfect day to be out in summer.

"Good to know you like the area, we don't really talk that much people though, we mainly just say high and walk away." Izuku said to his pup.

Izuku then heard Emerald bark happily once again, but he was pointing his paw over at the city in the distance.

"You want to go into the city?" Izuku asked as he crouched down to him.

Emerald nodded up and down energetically in response.

Izuku smiled and pet the wolf on his head, "Sure, thing! We can pick up a few things for me and you while we're over there."

Izuku then thought of a place specifically that they could go to.

"Actually... we could go to the Kiyashi Ward shopping mall! I actually wasn't able to buy anything I needed the last time I was there because of... something happening..." Izuku uttered nervously as he remembered his encounter with Shigaraki.

Emerald simply tilted his head in some confusion by what he meant.

"Anywho, so how about it Emerald, wanna go to the mall? They do allow pets to hang around the area, although not in some stores..."

Emerald barked happily once again and wagged his tail, also jumping in place in some excitement.

"Great, I just have to stop by the house and pick up a backpack to help me carry the stuff I need, then we could leave!" Izuku said as he and Emerald began to run together back home.

Some time later

"Well, here we are." Izuku said as he and Emerald stood side by side, watching as crowds of people walked passed them, although technically Emerald sat on the ground wagging his tail.

Izuku wore a dark green shirt and dark blue shorts, and he also had his yellow backpack with him along with his usual red shoes.

Izuku looked down to his friend. "Not gonna lie.... It feels kind of awkward with it being just the two of us here... It reminds me when the class all came here but then all separated to go buy their own things... leaving me and Ochako alone..."

Izuku remembered everything clearly, when Ochako had asked him out for a date, but then turned red and ended up running away from him out of embarrassment.

"That was adorable..." Izuku thought with a slight chuckle.

"So... I do have to buy weights, but those would be heavy to carry all around the mall while I showed Emerald around.... So I guess I'll buy them last right before we leave." Izuku looked down at Emerald, examining how he no longer had any more bandages around his neck and legs.

"His wounds have healed a while ago... So I don't think I need to buy any more bandages, but I think it would be nice to buy more stuff for him... But... what do wolves like?"

Izuku began to walk forward with Emerald, but they didn't even take two steps before hearing someone behind them.

"Izu-chan?" a voice said with a small ribbit after.

Izuku and Emerald both froze in place, their heads then slowly turning behind him to see a familiar frog girl.

"T-Tsu!?" Izuku uttered in surprise to see her.

Tsu let out a small happy croak to see that it was Izuku who she saw, then walking over to him. Tsu wore a long green skirt that went down to her ankles, along with a white shirt that had two green stripes on it. She held a small shoulder bag on her right shoulder and a small plastic bag in her left hand indicating that she had bought something in the mall.

"What a coincidence meeting you here Izu-chan." Tsu said as she looked into Izuku's eyes, her blank expression making Izuku feel slightly nervous.

Izuku rubbed the back of his head as he focused his eyes on Tsu. "Y-Yeah! I didn't expect to see you here!"

Emerald looked curiously at Tsu, then taking a sniff of her from afar. But after a moment of picking up her scent, he officially recognized her from the momentary contact that he had with her during Izuku's party. He slightly waddled over to Tsu and sat down on the ground while looking up at her, wagging his tail.

Tsu crouched down to the pup and slowly rubbed him along the head. "I see you brought this little guy... What was his name again?"

"E-Emerald..." Izuku said.

"Is it because his eyes? They look kind of like yours, always shining brightly."

Izuku felt slightly embarrassed and flattered to hear her say that. "Y-You think so? I-I never really thought of it that way."

Tsu then stood back up, slightly leaning forward to Izuku with a finger on her chin.

"So Izu-chan, what brings you back here at the Kiyashi Mall again?"

Izuku reached down and picked up Emerald in his arms, "Well... I came to buy some things for the training camp, and some for Emerald as well. I wasn't able to buy them last time because of... well, you know why."

Tsu remembered what happened to Izuku that day.

"Yes, from that villain, Tomura Shigaraki right?..."

Izuku nodded his head up and down.

Tsu spoke again. "I didn't tell you this before Izu-chan, but just know that I was really worried when I heard that you ran into him here."

"R-Really? Y-You were really worried?"

"Of course I was, I remembered what happened to you the previous time you met him... at USJ." Tsu said to Izuku with a hint of worry.

Izuku remembered when his arm was partially decayed during the villain attack, due to jumping in front of Tsu in order to protect her from Shigaraki touching her.

"S-Sorry about that... I've been told to be more more careful now... But let's forget about that, so what are you doing here Tsu?" Izuku quickly said to change the subject.

"Well, I've come to shop." Tsu said.

Izuku realized what was wrong with the question he asked, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Y-Yeah, I should have thought so since we're at the mall..." Izuku muttered awkwardly.

"I've come to buy somethings that I couldn't buy the last time I was here, ribbit."

Izuku slightly flinched, "S-Sorry about that..."

"You don't have to apologize Izu-chan, it wasn't your fault." Tsu reassured him. "Since we're both here, do you want to go shopping with me?"

"E-Eh? But I have..." Izuku's head slightly looked downward to Emerald, who had patiently been sitting next to Izuku with his tail wagging.

"You could bring him too, It would be nice." Tsu said to him.

Izuku could see that Tsu's eyes seemed to have a hint of hope in them, as if she was hoping that Izuku would accept her proposition. Izuku looked slightly downward to Emerald, who nodded his head up and down to Izuku.

Izuku then looked back at Tsu, "S-Sure, I don't see why not."

Tsu let out a small croak of happiness, then closing her eyes and maintained a precious smile, instinctively causing Izuku to blush.

"So it's a date then." Tsu said cheerfully as she then began to walk towards the escalators.

Izuku felt the blood rush into his head from what Tsu suddenly said, his eyes and mouth widening in some shock.

"There are a few places I want to go to with you if you don't mind, ribbit." Tsu said as she turned her head over to Izuku for one moment.

Izuku, with his still red face, followed behind Tsu as he did an overview of his thoughts, with Emerald walking besides him and staring at Izuku in some confusion by how nervous he appeared to be.

"C-Calm down Izuku... Remember what Enso said, a date just means that Tsu simply wants to hang out, n-nothing else..."

Izuku then slightly quickened his walking speed until he was now side by side with Tsu, while Tsu looked over the areas to see if any stores caught her eyes. They went up the escalators to the second floor, with Izuku and Tsu standing around in what seemed to be awkward silence. Izuku held Emerald in his arms as they went up, feeling slightly worried of the danger the pup might be in going up the escalators.

"Th-This is so awkward for me... I wonder if it is for Tsu as well? Should I start up a conversation? Or could it be that Tsu actually doesn't want to talk? But she seemed glad that I'm accompanying her, so maybe she expects me to be more interactive with her? I-"

"Izu-chan, your mumbling again." Tsu said as she looked at the boy.

"Eh?! I am!?" Izuku uttered out in some shock.

"Not really, I was just messing with you, ribbit."

Izuku stared at her with a dumbfounded expression on his face, not expecting this small prank from Tsu.

"What's with that look?" Tsu asked him curiously.

"N-Nothing!..." Izuku uttered with an embarrassed blush as he quickly turned his head away.

"Kawaii..." Tsu thought from seeing the boy's reaction.

Tsu knew at this point that Izuku would probably be too nervous to start a conversation with her, or that he would be thinking too much on it, so she decided to take the initiative and speak first.

"So, when did you get such a cute pup Izu-chan? I don't think I've ever seen someone keep a baby wolf as a pet before, ribbit."

"I-I prefer the term "friend" instead of "pet"... and as for when I got him, I was-"

As Izuku was going to tell Tsu about the time he was Ochako when he got Emerald, he remembered that at the time it was an actually date that involved Ochako's personal feelings for Izuku at the time, making him rethink what he should say because he knew that it may cause a ruckus if that information got out.

"W-Well, a while ago I conveniently found a small fair of the sort that had a small petting zoo... I found Emerald there and he took a liking to me... but somehow, someway, the staff there said that I could keep him and basically shoved me out of the place... It was really confusing."

Tsu put a finger on her chin out of curiosity, "Hm, that is rather odd, but I think that you were really lucky. Emerald seems like such a good friend to have alongside you for support, ribbit."

Emerald let out a happy bark as a response to what Tsu said.

"Yeah, he is a smart pup, you can even talk to him like any other person for a conversation, he can nod or even try to tell you something with movements, I'm glad to have gotten him." Izuku said happily.

"Really?" Tsu asked in wonder as she heard Izuku boast of the pup's intelligence. She then slightly looked down to Emerald, who was now walking on the ground besides the two. "Hey Emerald-chan?"

"Emerald... chan?" Izuku repeated in his head in some confusion, with even Emerald tilting his head in curiosity.

"Does Izu-chan have a girlfriend?"

"T-Tsu!?!" Izuku uttered out with an intense blush as he stopped in place.

Emerald immediately nodded his head side to side to confirm that Izuku didn't have one.

"He answered so quickly and even understood what having one meant!?!" Izuku wondered in even more shock.

"Wh-Why did you ask him that T-Tsu?" Izuku uttered out nervously.

"Just curious, and it's fun to see your reaction." Tsu responded in a slightly more cheerful tone as she walked ahead.

"What is she thinking!?" Izuku wondered in confusion and slight embarrassment as he watched Tsu walk ahead, awkward trails of sweat beginning to form on the side of his head. He could only close his eyes and sigh as he followed Tsu on the second level of the mall, with Emerald keeping a steady pace with them.

While Izuku caught up with her, Tsu had a finger on her chin as she began to think of different things that had been on her mind, currently deep in thought.

"Izu-chan really is nice... and cute, but he's also a really strong hero. I can see why Ochako-chan likes him too..."

Tsu partially shifted a small glance to Izuku as they walked, staring curiously at him. "Would it really be worth all the trouble... for me to try? Ochako and I are really good friends... so wouldn't I be betraying her if I did tried to... get together with Izu-chan?..."

With this thought placed within her mind, Tsu suddenly began to feel some depression and jealousy grow in her, which was rare for her. It didn't show on her face, as she was still able to maintain her usual blank look on her face as she stared at Izuku.

However, Izuku noticed how intense Tsu's stare towards him was, swearing that he could see an aura around her. "U-Um... I-Is there something wrong Tsu?"

Tsu then looked back forward. "Just thinking about something..."

Izuku instantly picked up that something was wrong about Tsu's response, as her tone seemed to change a bit. He and Emerald increased their walking pace until Izuku was next to Tsu, his head partially looking down at hers.

"Is there something wrong Tsu?"

Tsu kept her gaze forward. "I'm fine."

Hearing Tsu now keep keeping her answers short confirmed Izuku's suspicion that something was wrong with her, but he still didn't know exactly what to say to her in order to make her feel better. Izuku wanted to say something, but he didn't want to pry too much into whatever was wrong with Tsu if it was a sensitive topic, but he at least wanted to reassure her in some way.

"T-Tsu... Just know that if there's ever something wrong... that I'll always listen and talk to you about it if you really want to."

Tsu stopped in her tracks after hearing Izuku say this, then turning her head to him and blinking her eyes at him.

Izuku was slightly nervous, wondering if he said something wrong, he gulped down a lump in his throat but continued to speak.

"I-I mean... S-Sometimes th-things may be tough for someone to deal with on their own... So just i-in case it might be for you, just know that I'm here."

Tsu stared at Izuku's nervous expression, and although some people may have felt annoyed about receiving the type attention Izuku was giving, Tsu on the other hand felt glad. She actually felt glad that Izuku worried about her like this, even if it seemed to be over a small thing. For Tsu, this showed how much Izuku really cared about her, which made her feel warm inside. Tsu gave Izuku a precious, close eyed smile that made her seem to shine through the entire mall, so precious that Izuku couldn't help but feel himself feel his heart skip a beat.

"Thank you Izu-chan, you really are nice. But don't worry, I'm fine now." Tsu said while maintaining her smile.

Izuku was stunned by Tsu's smile, but also slightly confused by what she said. "She's fine... now? I... I guess I did help then?"

"I-I-It's no problem T-Tsu! I-I'm glad you're alright!" Izuku uttered out as he averted his eyes from her, feeling himself grow warmer.

Tsu then walked up to Izuku's right side, then leaning her head on his shoulder and wrapping both of her arms around Izuku's arm.

Izuku nearly tipped to the side from being caught off guard that Tsu actually hugged his arm, he honestly never expected Tsu to do something like this and could only stare at her with white eyes of shock.

"Ribbit." Tsu croaked happily as she nuzzled her head against Izuku's shoulder.

"T-T-T-Tsu? Wh-What are you d-doing?" Izuku finally uttered out.

"Just a little thank you." Tsu responded in a more cheerful tone than before. "Do you want me to stop?"

"U-Um-Well- I-I don't really... d-dislike it..." was all Izuku said as he turned his head away from her once more.

"Then let's go." Tsu said happily as she slightly pulled on Izuku to get him to move forward with her.

Emerald had watched and noticed the entire changes of Tsu and her feelings, being able to sense it thanks to his animal like senses being able to detect human emotions more easily. He happily wagged his tail to see the two get close to one another like this, waddling up next to the two and heading together with them throughout the mall.

"He really is nice." Tsu thought happily.

It took Izuku a few minutes to adjust to the feeling of Tsu hugging his arm, but after seeing just how happy Tsu was just by being close to him, Izuku couldn't help but feel his heart melt and formed a smile on his face. He then confidentially walked alongside Tsu at a steady pace, the two of them looked through many stores, and although it was a little disappointing at times because a few stores didn't allow Izuku to bring Emerald in, they all still had a rather enjoyable experience. They looked at many items that they wondered if they would be good to bring for the forest camp, with Tsu and Izuku even buying things.

Soon they came upon a clothing store, in which Emerald wasn't allowed to go in so he simply sat outside the store patiently while Izuku and Tsu went inside.

"W-We probably shouldn't take too long, I don't want Emerald to feel lonely..." Izuku uttered as Tsu examined some clothing on a few racks.

"I guess so..." Tsu said as she placed a sweater back on the rack, she was about to suggest leaving because she didn't see anything she thought she could buy, but then something caught her eye. Tsu saw a section of different swimsuits that were on sale, and this gave her a little idea.

"Izu-chan, do you think you could wait for me by the changing rooms? There are a few things that I wish to try on real quick. Ribbit." Tsu told him.

Izuku looked at the time on his phone, then looking back at Tsu.

"Well... I guess really quick. I'll go wait over there then." Izuku said to her with a small smile as he made his way towards the changing room, not noticing as Tsu asked a staff member for help to find clothes that would make her look cuter.

Izuku stood around the changing rooms, waiting for Tsu to come and also wondering what type of clothing she would pick out.

"Tsu seemed pretty excited about something when she told me to wait... I guess it was for some clothes that caught her attention... I wonder what she'll wear?" Izuku thought as he tilted his head up and a visual thought bubble appeared over his head.

Izuku viewed Tsu in a variety of clothes, first some different basic clothes that he had seen in the mall, such as small t-shirts and tight jeans, then he pictured her in a maid costume that he saw on a stand in another store, and then he remembered the tight swimsuits that looked as if they could expose-

BAM!

Izuku had his head against the wall, having slammed it right into it in order to snap him out of his thoughts.

"I-I really shouldn't think of my classmates that way..." Izuku thought as he removed his head off the wall with a blush on his face, along with a small bruise on his forehead.

Izuku then heard some footsteps behind him, making him turn around to see Tsu holding some clothing on her arm.

"H-Hey Tsu!" Izuku uttered out quickly as he attempted to calm his blushing down and not think about the images that were in his head a moment ago.

Tsu slightly tilted her head sideways with a finger on her chin out of curiosity. "What happened to your forehead Izu-chan?"

Izuku slightly panicked, shivering nervously. "Wh-While I was coming over to the changing rooms, I-I tripped and fell!"

"Oh, I see."

"M-More importantly! H-Have you picked out some clothes to put on!?" Izuku quickly uttered out so that Tsu wouldn't ask more into it.

Tsu's eyes seemed to light up a bit, "Yes, I'll be trying them on and I want you to tell me what you think about them."

Before Izuku could even answer, Tsu rushed into one of the changing booths and pulled the curtain.

Izuku stood straight with both of his arms to his sides, feeling anxious, yet very nervous about what he would see Tsu wearing. He began to walk back and forth and fiddled with his fingers, a slight bit of steam emitting over his blushing red head as he did so.

It took about a minute, but Izuku heard the curtains get pulled again, making him screech to a halt from his pacing.

"How do I look Izu-chan?"

Izuku slowly turned his head to Tsu, and he froze when he saw her.

Tsu wore a one piece swimsuit that had a design consisting of green and white horizontal stripes. It exposed her smooth arms and legs, and looked a little tight on her. This sight was enough to make Izuku's head basically start steaming up.

Tsu held a finger to her chin, not looking at all embarrassed from being in this swimwear in front of Izuku.

"Well?" Tsu asked again.

"Y-Y-You look great!" Izuku answered quickly, his eyes seeming glued to Tsu.

Tsu noticed how tense and red Izuku clearly was, "So he likes it."

Tsu watched as Izuku shook nervously and let out small murmurs.

"He's so cute when he's flustered." Tsu thought happily before then saying, "I have a few more to try on, so bear with me Izu-chan." She then pulled the curtain closed once again.

The moment Tsu closed the curtain, Izuku placed his hands over his face and tried to calm himself down. "Sh-Sh-She looked so cute in it!"

About a minute passed and Izuku still hadn't recovered, so he grabbed a drink that he had bought while in the mall with Tsu and began to drink it in hopes of soothing him.

Sadly, that was when Tsu pulled the curtain again.

"What about now? Ribbit."

Izuku's eyes pointed to Tsu just as he sipped his drink.

"PTEWFT!!" Izuku ended up spraying the contents from his mouth due to the utter shock of seeing Tsu in a new, more revealing swimsuit this time.

This one was a two piece bikini, one that matched Tsu's hero costume colors, consisting of green and dark green, along with only a couple of yellow stripes and even a bow of the sort connecting it.

Izuku placed his hands over his nose, worried that blood might burst from it at any moment from what he saw. Although he's been in many situations with girls, he's never seen one that exposed as much skin that Tsu showed now. It seemed to be on a whole new level of intimacy for Izuku, especially since the swimsuit indeed showed Tsu's impressive figure. But even so, his gaze was kept upon Tsu, admiring her beautiful smooth skin and trying not to blow up right there.

Tsu took a few steps to Izuku, getting uncomfortably close to him.

"T-T-T-T-Tsu?!" Izuku uttered out as he took steps back until his back pressed against the wall.

"What is it? You don't like it?" Tsu asked, maintaining her blank face, which made Izuku shocked by just how calm and cool headed she was despite what she was wearing.

"I-Um! W-Well! I-I-" Izuku choked and struggled on his words, his eyes shooting in every direction to avoid looked directly at Tsu.

"Hm, he's so flustered that he can't even speak. That's adorable, but I guess I should stop before I make him pass out. Shame, I had other things to try on too..." Tsu thought as she watched the boy struggle to keep his mind intact.

"I guess we should be going now, give me a moment while I change back, ribbit." Tsu said before she went back into the changing booth and pulled the curtains closed once more.

Izuku then fell to his knees and planted his hands against the ground, letting out deep breaths to calm himself down as a big awkward trail of sweat appeared on the side of his head.

"Sh-Sh-She looked great in it... but..." Izuku muttered as he calmed down.

"But?" Tsu asked as she pulled the curtain to reveal that she had finished putting on her clothes.

"THAT WAS QUICK!" Izuku screamed in his head as he comedically turned black and white and shot up to his feet from the shock of Tsu seeming to change so fast..

"What did you mean by, "but" Izu-chan?" Tsu asked as she took a step forward to him.

"I-I-"

"Did you think it looked weird on me?" Tsu took another step to him, making Izuku instinctively take a step back and place his back against the wall once again.

"W-Well... It wasn't that you didn't look good in it, i-it's just that..." Izuku's words trailed off as he averted his gaze from Tsu out of embarrassment.

"What is it?" Tsu asked as she got even closer to him, even slightly pressing herself against his chest.

"Um... H-How do I say this?... I-I think you l-looked better in the other one..." Izuku admitted.

"Other one?"

"Th-The first s-swimsuit..."

Tsu tilted her head in curiosity, actually surprised to hear Izuku admit to that, but also confused as to why he actually enjoyed the first swimsuit better.

"Why is that? I assumed that most boys would like ones that reveal more skin, ribbit."

"U-U-Um..." Izuku turned a deeper red and shook nervously as the image of Tsu in the more revealing swimsuit flashed within his mind, but then he shook the image out of his head and faced Tsu, calming down.

"Well... In my opinion Tsu, I think the first one is better... b-because it makes you look cuter."

Tsu let out a small croak after hearing Izuku say this, and despite maintaining a straight face, a small red blush appeared on both of her cheeks as she placed a finger on her chin.

"Is... that so?" Tsu muttered as she stared at Izuku's nervous expression.

She then made her way towards the cashier, "I guess I'll take it then."

"Eh?" Izuku had partially surprised eyes to hear that Tsu would actually be buying the swimsuit.

"You can wait outside with Emerald while I buy this." Tsu said to Izuku without looking back at him.

"O-Okay then..." Izuku muttered as he went outside the store. Upon getting outside, he noticed that Emerald wasn't near the entrance where he had left him. Izuku turned his head side to side to see if he could find any sight of Emerald, but he couldn't catch any glimpse of him.

"Where did he go?" Izuku muttered to himself as he tried to look for anything with dark black fur.

Izuku then spotted a small cardboard box near a bench across from the store he was at, one that he swore he saw slightly move.

"He... can't be..." Izuku made his way towards the box and crouched down over it, then using one hand to slowly lift it up and reveal a pair of green eyes staring back at him.

"Did you... hide in here because of the people walking by?"

Emerald simply nodded his head up and down in response.

"Where did you even get this?" Izuku asked as he removed the box over Emerald, then picking him up and raising him near his face.

Upon getting close enough to his face, Emerald simply licked Izuku on the nose, making him scrunch up his face.

"H-Hey!" Izuku said with a small laugh as he held Emerald away from his face so that he wouldn't lick him again. "Don't just do that suddenly." Izuku went over to the bench and gently placed Emerald upon it. He then placed his backpack onto the ground and sat alongside Emerald to wait for Tsu. He rustled the top of Emerald's head gently, with Emerald letting out small sounds of enjoyment from it.

Izuku then looked into the store, watching as Tsu paid for her own things.

"I wonder how she can always keep such a straight face..." Izuku thought as he formed a curious expression on his face as he unconsciously continued to rub Emerald's head.

Tsu placed the swimsuit she bought into a bag and then turned her head outside, where Izuku was currently staring at her with his mysterious gaze.

"Hm? He seems to be staring so intensely now." Tsu thought as she went outside and met up with him.

"Is there something wrong Izu-chan? Ribbit?"

That question snapped Izuku out of his thoughts, while also making him realize that he had been staring at her for too long. He removed his hand from Emerald's head and then flailed his arms in front of him as he began to speak quickly.

"N-Nothing Tsu! I-I was just deep within my own thoughts! N-Nothing for you to worry about!" Izuku then stood up straight and in a quick blur he put on his backpack. "S-So anywhere else you want to go!?"

Tsu momentarily stared back at Izuku, wondering if she should ask him what that was about, but decided not to think too much on it.

"Do you want to leave the mall and take a walk me home then, ribbit?"

"S-Sure Tsu! Let me help carry your things!" Izuku offered to her.

"He really is too nice..." Tsu thought happily.

____________________________________________________________________________

Izuku, Tsu, and Emerald were now walking down a few streets towards Tsu's neighborhood, with Izuku and Emerald mainly following Tsu. Izuku had casually offered to walk Tsu home, seeing as the sun was beginning to set and his good nature wouldn't let her walk alone. They both walked in silence, all you could hear was the gentle breeze, their light footsteps, and the small pitter pattering of Emerald next to them. Izuku held some of Tsu's bags in each of his hands, seeing no problem in it since it was to help her, and Tsu also held one bag in one of her own hand.

"I didn't think we spent that much time shopping, it's already turning into night time..." Izuku said in slight disbelief as he say the sun going down in the horizon.

"I guess we just had a lot of fun, so we didn't notice." Tsu responded.

"Yeah, it was fun to just get out and walk around with a friend." Izuku said with a smile.

"Like you've been doing with Ochako-chan?" Tsu asked him as she looked back at him.

Izuku nearly tripped as he heard her say this, then standing up straight and feeling more tense than before. "Wh-What brought this up!?"

"I was just wondering, because you said that you've been spending more time around her for the past few days." Tsu said as she turned forward again and continued walking, with Izuku following her nervously.

"There seems to be something off about her saying that..." Izuku thought nervously, not understanding Tsu's slight jealousy.

"Th-That's not true! I-I also train a lot with Enso to help me learn more about my quirk!"

"You train a lot with him Izu-chan?" Tsu asked, the back of her head facing Izuku.

"Y-Yeah! I really wanna to be a strong hero after all! The training from Enso along with the added lessons from school are really helping me get stronger!"

"You really prioritize in becoming a strong hero don't you Izu-chan?"

"Of course! I really wanna be strong enough to help anyone-" Izuku was cut off as all of a sudden, a middle aged man that looked homeless bumped his shoulder into Izuku. The man had a baggy sweater and had his hands in his pockets, and Izuku was surprised to suddenly get bumped into like that purposely.

"Everyone is always talking about "heroes this" and "heroes that"... It must be great to have a top tier quick... you get everything you want." the man muttered, then continuing down the street.

Izuku stood in place and watched as the man walked away, a slightly shook and confused expression on his face.

"Having... a top tier quirk..." Izuku repeated in his mind.

Tsu had also caught what the man said, stopping in place for a moment and looking at Izuku.

"Don't listen to him Izu-chan, lets keep going. There's a convenience store up ahead we can stop at." she said before then walking forward again.

Izuku remained in place in dejection as he thought about the words the man said, with Emerald trying to get his attention by rubbing his head against his leg and letting out small whines of worry for Izuku. Izuku soon turned forward and followed Tsu again, feeling more depressed than before and holding his head down. Emerald made a few more whining sounds from seeing Izuku get sad, sticking close to him as they walked.

"I guess he thinks that having a great quirk is all it takes to be a great hero... In a way he isn't wrong, but it isn't just about quirks that makes a hero..." Izuku thought as he walked.

He then stopped as he wondered something.

"But... is that how society thinks?..."

Izuku remembered the discrimination he received when he was quirkless, and he remembered the amount of praise Bakugo received because of his powerful quirk. Izuku remembered how that changed when he showed his strength of both Ikari and One For All, and that he began to receive praise after showing this strength of his. Izuku thought about Shinso's quirk, and how great it seemed, yet he didn't get the chance to be with the great students until after the sports festival, due to the school system apparently judging him only from his physical aspects, which in turn ended up getting him moved to the support class.

"It's as if all they ever think about is quirks... It seems unfair... If I didn't have Ikari or One For All... I would have never been able to go to U.A to be a hero, I might have ended up like that guy... talking about other people and how lucky they are. It's as if people just view quirks as the driving force of the world... So... is it fair that I received my powers... to get into U.A?"

"Hey, partner?" A new voice spoke.

"EEP!" Izuku jumped in place, shocked to hear this sudden voice in his head and he nearly dropped the bags he carried. Emerald was surprised by Izuku's sudden action and jumped back as well, then tripping and plopping onto the floor.

Tsu heard Izuku and looked behind her, seeing him catch his breath from the sudden scare.

"That was a cute voice he let out just now..." Tsu thought as she took a few steps to him. "Is something wrong Izu-chan?"

Izuku waved his hand in front of Tsu, "N-No Tsu! I just nearly tripped that's all!"

"Again? You really need to be more careful Izu-chan." Tsu said before turning around.

"Y-Yeah..." Izuku muttered as he looked down in embarrassment.

Emerald stood back up on his four legs and shook himself like a dog would do to shake something off. He then looked up at Izuku and let out a few small barks, as if asking him if something was wrong.

"S-Sorry Emerald... didn't mean to frighten you like that..." Izuku said to him as he crouched down, placed his bags down, and pet Emerald on the head.

"Sorry, did I scare you?" Ikari chuckled in Izuku's conscious.

"Yeah you did!" Izuku said to Ikari in some irritation as he picked up the bags and continued walking.

"Oopsie."

"I didn't expect you to come out like that! I forget you're even in my head sometimes!"

"..."

"S-Sorry, that came out wrong."

"Meanie!" Ikari said with a childishly mad tone.

"Sorry... so did you wanna ask me something?" Izuku managed to regain his composure and focus on what Ikari called him for.

"Well... I felt you getting mad... so I came out of my little personal space to check on you or fight off whatever was getting you mad... Was there something wrong that got you mad?"

"I don't think I even got that mad, well... maybe from a few things... but there is no need for you to get too worried."

"You always say that... but the next thing I know, your breaking your arms..."

"Why does everyone always bring up my arms!?!"

"You know why. -.-"

"Well, yeah..."

"So, what's wrong?"

"Well, there was a guy who bumped into me and said something, but that was it. You don't have to worry about me..."

"Um... I'm not sure I'm the one worrying." Ikari hinted to Izuku.

Izuku picked up on the hint and looked ahead, seeing that Tsu was staring back at him as she walked, but she immediately looked forward when Izuku glanced at her.

"Uh oh..."

"You may need to talk..."

There was an awkward silence now, and Izuku worried about the way Tsu looked at him while also thinking about what he should say in case she asked him about what was on his mind. This was only for a few minutes though as the group came upon a convenience store like Tsu had said was ahead. There were a few benches outside of the store, for customers to sit and eat if they wanted to immediately eat the snacks they bought.

Izuku felt slightly unsure and awkward around Tsu after noticing her stare at him again.

"I-I'm gonna buy us some drinks! I'll be right back!" Izuku quickly uttered out as he dropped his bags and ran into the store, leaving Tsu and Emerald alone.

"Seems he noticed me looking at him..." Tsu thought as Emerald went to one of the benches and jumped onto it, then sitting himself down as he looked up in the now dark, starry sky. Tsu placed herself next to the wolf pup and watched as he wagged his tail in some excitement and watched the big bright moon in the sky.

Tsu and Emerald sat side by side for a few moments, and Tsu looked into the convenience store for another few moments, not seeing any sign of Izuku yet, then she turned to the wolf once more.

"Emerald-chan?"

Emerald turned his attention to Tsu, his tail still wagging.

"Was Izu-chan sad about something a moment ago?" she asked bluntly.

Emerald stopped wagging his tail, now staring at Tsu with a blank expression and closed mouth. He then nodded his head up in down in conformation to her question.

Tsu placed a finger on her chin, "Was it about what that man said earlier?"

Emerald was still for a moment, before once again nodding his head up and down.

"I see... do you think I should talk to him?"

This time, Emerald immediately shook his head up and down in a more energetic manner.

"Heh, you really do care about Izu-chan, ribbit." Tsu said with a small smile as she used both of her hands to gently caress Emerald's fur.

Izuku in the meantime, let out a sigh of relief as he opened up a fridge in the cold drink section of the store and picked two out.

"I shouldn't have ran like that so suddenly... there's no doubt that Tsu might ask me something about how I acted... she notices things better than most people..." Izuku thought as he held a drink in each of his hands and began to walk to the cashier, picking up a small snack for Emerald on the way.

"What should I even tell her? That I'm feeling bad that I basically received my quirks to be become a hero, and that I feel like it's unfair for me to have them? Yeah, right."

After paying, Izuku picked up the items and went outside, feeling the cool breeze of the night on him. He stopped for a moment as he saw Tsu gently rubbing Emerald on his back, then slightly smiling to see them both getting along.

"Hey... I got you this." Izuku said as he sat next to Tsu and placed her drink next to her.

Tsu stopped caressing Emerald's fur and turned her head to Izuku, then looking at the drink that he got her.

"Thank you." she said as she opened up the drink and took a sip out of it. Izuku on the other hand, didn't even open his drink. He simply looked down and went around in his thoughts as he thought about what the man had said to him.

Tsu noticed this once again. "Are you still thinking about what happened a few minutes ago?"

"Eh?" Izuku snapped from his thoughts and turned to Tsu.

"You seemed completely out of it for the rest of the walk..." Tsu continued.

Izuku averted his eyes from Tsu in some shame, "Yeah, sorry... It's just that when I think about it, it seems that quirks are what make the hero in this day in age... That's all people praise them for..."

"So you think that some people who have amazing quirks shouldn't become heroes just because of them?"

"Well, not exactly... I-I at least think that everyone should deserve a chance to be a hero even if they may not have amazing quirks... and other people shouldn't just discriminate them from thinking otherwise..."

Tsu placed a finger on her chin. "So you're suggesting that just anyone could become a hero then?"

"Well... I.."

"Or does this have to do with how you were treated because your quirk came late?"

Izuku froze, his pupils shrunk a small bit as he remembered once more how he was treated. Emerald picked up on the look Izuku had on his face, then going on his lap and whining a small bit as he nuzzled his snout against Izuku's chest.

There was a brief moment of silence that involved Tsu staring at Izuku, while Izuku had his head held down in his memories.

"Sorry Izu-chan... You know I like to speak my mind... I shouldn't have brought that up..."

Izuku let out a sigh, then looking up into the sky. "No... You're right... I guess I just felt sympathy for that guy... I didn't manifest my quirk around the time everyone else did... so I was bullied, and everyone didn't believe that I could become a hero. But that changed when I... manifested my quirk late, but I understood how all those other people felt, because I faced exactly what they most likely experienced... I'm sure that there are so many people like me who wanted to be heroes, but couldn't because of their quirks supposively not being "fit" for it... That made me wonder if I, out of all other people, should have been the one to have gotten the chance to become a hero... and not someone else who deserved it more than me... "

After a few seconds of silence, Tsu slightly scooted closer to Izuku, then placing her hands upon each of his cheeks and gently pulling on his head so that he was facing her.

"Izu-chan. Look at me." Tsu said as she held Izuku's head a few inches from her face.

Izuku turned entirely red, his eyes widening from his face being so close Tsu's.

"S-So close!"

"You shouldn't think that others deserve being a hero more than you, you've helped and saved more people than anyone else in the class."

"I-I wouldn't say save-"

"You saved Ochako-chan when the giant robot was about to hurt her at the entrance exam, you saved Iida-chan from getting killed by the hero killer, and..."

Izuku felt Tsu's hands slightly shaking on his face.

"...you also saved me during the villain attack at USJ... I wouldn't be alive right now if it wasn't for you Izu-chan. Every time someone was in trouble, you would always rush over to save them, even if you got injured in the process. If there is anyone in the world who deserves to be a hero, it's you Izu-chan. Your kind, strong, and you put everyone else's safety above your own. If that isn't a hero, then I don't know what is."

"Tsu..." Izuku uttered out faintly as he stared into her eyes, feeling himself get warmer.

"I know that Bakugo really did make you feel unsure of yourself... but I need you to be more confident in yourself... Can you do that for me?" Tsu asked with some sad eyes.

Izuku wasn't nervous anymore, he gave a gentle smile to Tsu as he placed both of his hands gently upon Tsu's hands, then slowly removing them from his face.

"Yeah... For you Tsu, of course. Thank you for being who you are, and for comforting me like this..." Izuku answered with the moonlight shining down on him.

This sudden answer made Tsu lightly blush and she let a small croak, before then slowly pulling her hands back onto her lap and averting her gaze from Izuku's.

"You're... welcome..."

Emerald let out a happy bark to see the two of them cheer up, then jumping next to Izuku and snuggling himself close to him.

"You seem happy." Izuku chuckled as he pet him.

Tsu watched as Izuku pet Emerald on the head, her blush still remaining despite having hone back to her usual blank expression on her face. A small trail of sweat went down the side of her head, and she scooted closer to Izuku, her head pointed down to the ground and she had both of her hands in her lap. She then slightly nudged her shoulder against Izuku's shoulder in order to get his attention, her eyes pointed away from Izuku.

Izuku turned his head to Tsu but got overly worried as he saw how she was acting, not being used to seeing her look that nervous or red. "I-Is something wrong Tsu!?" he asked as he removed his hand from Emerald's head looked at Tsu to see what was wrong.

As a response, Tsu slowly turned her head to Izuku, but she didn't look up at him directly. Instead, she simply bowed her head down to Izuku, partially nudging it on him to signal him to do something.

"Huh?" Izuku wondered in confusion to see her do this.

Emerald had watched Tsu do this as well, then getting an idea of what she wanted. He tapped Izuku with his paw, getting the teen's attention. He then moved his head underneath Izuku's hand and had him rub his head for a second, giving him an example the action that Tsu wanted. He then removed his head from under Izuku's hand and used his paw once again to point at Tsu this time.

Izuku turned to Tsu, then to Emerald, then back to Tsu, before then realizing what he was hinting at.

"D-Don't tell me that she wants me t-to..."

Izuku awkwardly reached his hand above Tsu's head, then gently placing it upon her head. Tsu let out a small ribbit of happiness and slight embarrassment as she felt Izuku's hand placed upon her head. Izuku then slowly rubbed Tsu's head in an adorable way, getting more small ribbits from her.

Izuku felt his heartbeat go faster the more he rubbed Tsu's head, feeling his face turn warm as it turned completely red at just how much the frog girl seemed to enjoy his rubbing, even catching a glimpse of a smile coming from her.

"Sh-She really likes this?..." Izuku wondered in his head.

"H-Hey Tsu?"

"Yes Izu-chan?..." Tsu let out between ribbits.

"S-Sorry if this may be weird to ask but... wh-why do you l-like getting your head r-rubbed like this?"

Hearing this, Tsu lifted her head to look upwards at Izuku, blinking a few times as she looked at him, despite Izuku still keeping his hand upon her head.

"I don't know... maybe because it's you doing it?"

Izuku felt his body shake nervously after hearing her answer, gulping down a lump in his throat and attempting to answer back.

"Wh-What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly what I said." Tsu responded as she closed her eyes and continued to enjoy Izuku's hand on her.

"O-Oh..." was all Izuku could utter out in awkwardness.

Emerald then raised his head and let out a small, tired yawn with his eyes closed and his mouth opening up wide for a brief moment, before then closing it and lowering his head onto Izuku's lap. Izuku and and Tsu both watched as Emerald got comfortable on Izuku's lap, then listening as he began to peacefully slumber away.

"I-I guess it's about time for him to sleep... He usually sleeps early..." Izuku said as he removed his hand from Tsu's head, much to her disappointment, and stood up from the bench, holding Emerald in his arms. "I could still walk you the rest of the way."

"It's alright Izu-chan, you've done more than enough by walking with me this far and carrying some of my stuff. My house is just up ahead, so you could just go home, ribbit."

Izuku gently placed Emerald onto the bench, he then crouched over and opened his backpack on the floor, looking through it. "Are you sure?"

Tsu nodded her head, "Yeah, you should get Emerald-chan home."

"Again... Emerald-chan?" Izuku wondered as he rustled through his backpack to see if he had everything he needed.

Izuku stopped looking through his backpack and turned his head to Tsu for a moment, "Well... I guess I'll see you another day Tsu." Izuku said with a smile.

Upon seeing this smile, Tsu blink a few times and stared at Izuku as he closed up his backpack. She then walked up to the boy, holding her hands together behind her back as she did so, and waited for him to stand back up.

After closing his backpack, Izuku noticed Tsu standing next to him, so he stood back up and looked down at her, since he was a slight bit taller than her.

"Is something wrong Ts-" Izuku didn't finish as Tsu reach her head out and planted a kiss upon Izuku's cheek, making him freeze entirely.

Tsu picked up her bags and then took a few steps in the direction of her house, before turning one last time to Izuku and giving him another precious, closed eyed smile.

"Thanks for being with me today Izu-chan, I had fun. I'll see you another day, ribbit." she said one last time before then continuing down the street.

Izuku stood still with his mouth agape and eyes widened with a hand placed upon his cheek where Tsu had kissed him a moment ago. He watched her walk off into the distance before she turned at the corner of the street, disappearing from Izuku's line of sight.

"Wh-What was that?" Izuku muttered to himself in confusion as he continued to rub his cheek. "To be fair... It wasn't as surprising as what Mina did... but it still sure catches me off guard..." he continued to mutter as he put his backpack on and then reach on the bench and finally opened up his drink, then taking a sip of it.

"I think she'd be a nice girlfriend for you."

"PEFFFFWFT!!" Izuku sprayed his drink from his mouth and turned more red than he was before, coughing a few times afterword.

"Eeeeeeeewwwwww!" Ikari said as he saw Izuku spit his drink from his mouth.

Izuku coughed for a few more times and held his own neck as he partially choked.

"Ikari... do me a favor... and just stop talking."

"But-"

"Ikari."

"But I-"

"Stop."

"...Bu-"

"No."

"Your mean! >:("

Izuku picked up his few bags and gently held Emerald in his arms, but he didn't even take two steps before remembering something important, making Izuku facepalm himself with a free hand in shame.

"I... forgot to buy my weights..."

"Ha!"

"Shut up!"

Meanwhile, Tsu hadn't actually left to her home just yet. She was currently at the corner of the street where Izuku thought she had left, peeking around the corner of a stone wall and watching Izuku's embarrassed face as he got all of his stuff and then walked on his way back home.

"Sorry Ochako-chan... " Tsu thought to herself as she watched Izuku disappear in the distance.